Nusantara, March 9, 2026 — The Regional Agency for Language in East Kalimantan Province (Language Agency), under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, held an Institutional Strengthening Audition focused on Prioritizing the State Language at the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) on March 5, 2026. The event took place at the Echelon-1 Coordination Ministry 4 Meeting Room, Tower 1, within the Core Government Center Area (KIPP) of IKN. This activity serves as an implementation of Ministerial Regulation of Primary and Secondary Education No. 2 of 2025 concerning Guidelines for the Supervision of Indonesian Language Usage. The event was officially opened by Dr. Suwito, Director of Basic Services at the IKN Authority, who emphasized that IKN must serve as a national showcase and model zone for prioritizing the state language in public spaces.
The consultation meeting was attended by leaders and representatives from 10 supervised government and private institutions, as well as deputy representatives within the IKN Authority, including the Deputy for Planning and Land Affairs, the Deputy for Green Transformation, and the Deputy for Infrastructure and Facilities. In his opening remarks, Dr. Suwito underscored the IKN Authority’s strong commitment to ensure that all buildings—whether owned by the government, private sector, or educational institutions—must prioritize national identity through the proper and correct use of the Indonesian language. It is hoped that IKN will not only excel in infrastructure development but also serve as a pioneer in upholding the dignity of the state language.
During the discussion session, the event was also attended by Dr. dr. Martina Yulianti, Sp.P.D., FINASIM., M.Kes. (MARS), Director of Aji Muhammad Parikesit Regional Public Hospital (RSUD A.M. Parikesit) in Tenggarong, whose institution was recognized as the best-performing organization in prioritizing the state language across Kutai Kartanegara and the IKN for the 2025 period.
Dr. Martina’s presence served as a source of inspiration for institutions operating within IKN, highlighting RSUD A.M. Parikesit’s success in systematically implementing compliant language usage across public signage, visual environments, and official documentation. The best practices adopted by the hospital demonstrate that excellence in healthcare service delivery can fully align with adherence to the norms and standards of the state language.
As an appreciation for this dedication, Asep Juanda, Head of the Language Agency, personally presented a certificate of award to the Director of RSUD A.M. Parikesit. The award was conferred in recognition of RSUD A.M. Parikesit’s active participation and outstanding achievement as the best-performing institution for the 2025 period within the institutional development program across Kutai Kartanegara and the IKN. The award ceremony, witnessed by all participants of the consultation meeting, symbolized the commencement of more intensive collaborative efforts in institutional strengthening for the years ahead.
In his presentation, Asep emphasized that the Indonesian language constitutes one of the four mandatory state symbols to be prioritized in accordance with Law No. 24 of 2009. The use of Indonesian is obligatory for naming buildings, streets, office complexes, and displaying public facility information throughout the IKN territory. He further elaborated on the fundamental principles of prioritization, namely positioning the Indonesian language at the top or left-hand side with a larger font size compared to accompanying foreign or regional languages. This visual hierarchy is designed to reinforce the prominence and dignity of the state language on the global stage.
The evaluation team, comprising Ali Kusno, Abd. Rahman, and Nur Bety, presented the 2025 institutional development outcomes, which demonstrated a 64 percent improvement in the quality of Indonesian language usage across supervised institutions. Nevertheless, the team identified several ongoing challenges, including limited human resources for linguistic landscape data collection and a corrective focus that has thus far remained predominantly centered on institutional documentation. Looking ahead to 2026, the institutional strengthening strategy will be comprehensively expanded to encompass language usage in public spaces and the linguistic landscape throughout the IKN, ensuring alignment with both aesthetic standards and regulatory frameworks.
Regarding technical evaluation, the team highlighted several persistent issues in official administrative correspondence, including inconsistencies in letterhead formatting and minor spelling errors. Meanwhile, the team noted that while the government sector has demonstrated relatively strong compliance, the dominance of foreign languages remains pronounced in the commercial sector, particularly within the hospitality industry. The team underscored the importance of standardization to ensure that all institutions—ranging from Sepaku Regional Public Hospital (RSUD Sepaku) and Hermina Hospital to Swissotel and Qubika Hotel—can refine their language elements in accordance with applicable regulatory standards.
Three Showcase Locations Leading State Language Adoption in IKN
As a concrete step forward in 2026, the Language Agency plans to develop specialized guidelines for prioritizing the state language in public spaces across the IKN, alongside comprehensive mapping of critical infrastructure sites, such as the airport and affordable rental housing complexes (rusun). A dedicated “State Language Prioritization Task Force” will also be established in collaboration with the IKN Authority to monitor implementation and provide ongoing recommendations for improvement. Through this synergistic partnership, it is hoped that all stakeholders within IKN can serve as language ambassadors—demonstrating exemplary language practices while simultaneously reinforcing national identity in Indonesia’s new capital city.
As a follow-up to the Institutional Strengthening Audition on Prioritizing the State Language in the IKN held on March 5, 2026, the Language Agency team conducted direct field monitoring of language usage across the linguistic landscape and public spaces. This initiative aims to establish IKN as a national model zone for the prioritization of the state language. Held on March 6, 2026, the monitoring activity targeted three strategic locations within the IKN area: the IKN State Mosque, Nusantara Hospital under the management of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, and Pasar Segar Sepaku (Sepaku Fresh Market). This field assessment forms part of a broader series of institutional strengthening activities dedicated to prioritize the state language, with the overarching goal of ensuring that Indonesia’s national identity is prominently and consistently reflected in the heart of the new capital city.
Based on comprehensive field assessments, the team found that, overall, linguistic landscape elements across the three monitored locations have demonstrated a clear commitment to prioritize the state language. Both the IKN State Mosque and Nusantara Hospital—which are already operational—as well as Sepaku Fresh Market, scheduled to commence operations in the near future, have largely positioned the Indonesian language in the primary and most prominent placement on their signage and public communications. Nevertheless, the team identified minor instances of non-compliance with standard language conventions on select information boards and wayfinding signage, which require adjustment to ensure full alignment with applicable regulatory language standards.
Specifically regarding Nusantara Hospital, the team noted that numerous language elements remain unavailable, as the facility is still in the operational development phase. In response, the Nusantara Hospital team has committed to engaging in close coordination with the Language Agency throughout the process of developing new linguistic signage and materials. This collaboration aims to ensure that all room nomenclature, facility wayfinding, and health information boards, prior to installation, are designed from the outset to comply with Indonesian language standards and the principles of prioritizing the state language.
Moving forward, the Language Agency team will conduct an in-depth assessment to identify which language elements are already compliant and which still require improvement. For elements that do not yet align with applicable standards, the Language Agency will issue technical recommendations for correction, which will subsequently be coordinated with the IKN Authority. This coordination mechanism is essential to ensure that efforts to enhance the linguistic landscape in public spaces proceed in harmony with the aesthetic concepts and ongoing infrastructure development within the Core Government Center Area.
Comprehensive efforts to improve and develop language elements across the three pilot sites have been formally agreed upon with the IKN Authority to serve as a model for other institutions. The best practices demonstrated at the IKN State Mosque, Nusantara Hospital, and Sepaku Fresh Market are expected to provide a reference for government agencies, private entities, and newly established educational institutions within IKN in prioritizing the national language. This synergy reinforces IKN’s position not only as a modern center of governance but also as a hub of civilization that upholds the dignity of the Indonesian language. (ak)
Translated by Muhammad Erwin Darma